The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books has renamed its Authors Marketplace to memorialize support given by the late Don Taylor. “Taylor was the primary sponsor of the Writers Marketplace since it began in 2014. We thought this an appropriate recognition for someone who was so important to the success of the Festival,” said Laraine O’Brien, Festival founder.
Taylor gave the support in the name of Waukesha State Bank, the financial institution founded by his family which he headed for 25 years. His public service commitment, both personally and through the bank, helped many organizations like the Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books over the years. An author himself, Taylor had written several books of historical fiction set in Waukesha.
Taylor died in June 2021 and left a legacy of community support to many local groups.
The Don Taylor Writers Marketplace and Exhibit Area began on the Festival website in November 2021. The Authors Marketplace originally began as place for person-to-person contact for self-published authors to sell their books, and for readers to meet local authors. It evolved into an online marketplace when the Festival of went virtual in 2020, allowing authors and organizations to contact the reading public and for readers to browse and purchase books through the Festival of Books website. The Festival will continue this online presence this year and once again offer person-to-person sales.
A complete listing of authors and organizations will be available Nov.1 at www.sewibookfest.com Writers and local organizations interested in exhibiting at the Marketplace can go to Information for Authors and Exhibitors for more details.
